1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an Ethernet Passive Optical Network, and more particularly to the wireless transceiving system capable of receiving and processing both multi-channel broadcast signals and Ethernet signals.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to effectively provide a mass storage, high speed data service, and a real time digital broadcast/image service to subscribers, a data transmission speed of more than 100 Mb/s is generally required for those services. Therefore, it is impossible to provide such services through a conventional xDSL or a cable modem which has only a maximum 50 Mb/s of the data transmission rate. Accordingly, in recent years, there has been a demand for a high speed transmission network capable of providing the mass storage, high speed data service, and real time digital broadcast/image service. In order to meet this demand, several optical networks are already proposed. Among them, Passive Optical Network (PON) has prevailed because of its low construction costs. PON include for example, ATM-PON based on the ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode), WDM-PON based on the WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing), Ethernet-PON based on the Ethernet and etc.
The Ethernet PON scheme has been developed mainly in pursuit of receiving and processing the communication data therein. In order to transmit data in a Ethernet PON, gigabit Ethernet signals of 1.25 Gb/s are transmitted in the direction from an Optical Line Terminal (OLT) to Optical Network Unit/Optical Network Terminals (ONU/ONTs) by using a signal at a wavelength of 1550 nm, while the gigabit Ethernet signal of 1.25 Gb/s are transmitted in the direction from the ONTs to the OLT by using a signal at a wavelength of 1310 nm.
FIG. 1 illustrates the structure of a typical Ethernet Passive Optical Network according to the prior art. As shown, the typical Ethernet PON includes an OLT (Optical Line Terminal) 100 functioning as a sub-system located between users and service nodes for receiving broadcast signals and communication signals transmitted from a broadcast provider and a communication service provider, converting the received broadcast signals and the received communication signals into broadcast optical signals and communication optical signals, respectively, and then combining the converted broadcast and communication optical signals into single optical signals to be transmitted, a beam splitter 110, a plurality of ONTs (Optical Network Terminals) 120 and 122 functioning as users' devices for receiving information from the OLT 100 and relaying the received information to the users, a plurality of set-top boxes (hereinafter referred to as “STB”) 130, 133, 134 and 135, and optical fiber lines connecting the OLT 100 with the plurality of ONTs 120 and 122.
More specifically, the OLT 100 receives the broadcast signals via a broadcast network and transmit the light-converted and light-amplified signals to the beam splitter 110, while the OLT 100 also receives data information from an IP (Internet Protocol) router 111 via an IP network, and light-converts the received data signals into optical data signals to transmit the optical data signals to the beam splitter 110. Furthermore, the OLT 100 receives data signals from the ONTs 120 and 122 via the beam splitter 110 and transmits the received data signals to the IP network through the IP router 111.
ONTs 120 and 122 receive broadcast signals through the broadcast receivers to transmit the received broadcast signals to the users via the broadcast STBs (Set-top Box) 130, 133, 134 and 135. Furthermore, the ONTs 120 and 122 receive the communication data through communication receivers to transmit the received communication data to the users via an E-PON ONT function processor (not shown), while the ONTs 120 and 122 receive also communication data from the users via the E-PON ONT function processor to transmit the communication data to the OLT 100 via a burst-mode transmitter (not shown).
Conventional broadcast TV service system, based on IP, receive broadcasting signals provided by an apparatus connected to a broadcast TV headend and/or provided by the content or program provider. Received broadcast signals are encoded into MPEG2/4 frames, and corresponding image services are provided to subscriber terminals based on the encoded MPEG2/4 frames. Such image data can be received through the subscriber's TV or computer terminal connected to the STB at the home according to a corresponding channel selected by the subscriber.
Such a structure as that disclosed in the prior art requires that subscribers wishing to have access to broadcast services in multiple locations in their home necessitate locating STBs in each room or part of rooms in the home. Each STB would then need to be interconnected and/or connected to corresponding terminals with physical wires. Such physical wires have brought about a variety of restrictions to construct a home network for transmitting the broadcast signals and the Ethernet signals through the wires.